Greener packaging
You can reduce your impact on the environment by choosing products with less packaging, or packaging that can be recycled.
Major retailers have started to change the way products are packaged to help cut down on the amount of waste.
Different kinds of plastic packaging
What can I do?
- Choose packaging which can be recycled locally – cans, glass or cardboard. Check the labelling – some packaging can even be composted at home.
- Avoid over-packaged food and products. Buy loose fruit and vegetables. Leave unwanted packaging at the checkout.
- Join a local fruit & veg box scheme which generally use less packaging. Buy milk from your local milkman.
- Choose concentrated products in smaller containers such as fabric conditioners or squash.
What are retailers doing?
Nearly 6 million tonnes of packaging waste is thrown away every year.
Retailers are changing the way products are packaged to help cut down waste. Working with the Government’s Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), new solutions are being developed, including ways to:
- reduce packaging weight and increase the amount of recycled content in packaging
- reduce food waste by increasing the shelf-life of products and using resealable packaging.
Visit the WRAP website.
Major retailers, brands and suppliers have signed up to an agreement called the Courtauld Commitment, which pledges to:
- design greener packaging
- identify ways to tackle the problem of food waste.
See the retailers that are part of the Courtauld Commitment (WRAP).
Labelling on packaging
Retailers have agreed to use similar labelling on packaging to make it easier for customers to see whether packaging can be widely recycled, locally recycled, or not currently recycled.
Further information
For more information about rubbish and recycling, contact the Waste Management team.
